Hem Dae for Wanfala Principle
MIFALA rememberim August Dickmann (wea born long 1910), wanfala Jehovah’s Witness.” Hem nao start bilong toktok wea stap long daon (long piksa) wea olketa showim no longtaem go nomoa long oldfala concentration camp long Sachsenhausen. Why nao wanfala Jehovah’s Witness fit for kasem samting olsem for rememberim hem? Olketa narafala toktok talem why: “Olketa SS sutim [hem] long pablik long September 15, 1939, bikos hem no followim olketa from diswan againstim conscience bilong hem.”
August Dickmann go long concentration camp long Sachsenhausen long 1937. Thrifala day bihaen World War II start long 1939, olketa forcem hem for mas saenem pepa wea letem hem for joinim army. Taem hem les, komanda long datfala camp story witim Heinrich Himmler, boss bilong SS (Schutzstaffel, main gard bilong Hitler), and askem sapos olketa savve killim dae Dickmann front long olketa nara prisoner wea stap long camp. Long September 17, 1939, The New York Times talem diswan from Germany: “August Dickmann, wea 29 year, . . . olketa sutim dae finis.” Disfala niuspepa talem hao Dickmann nao first man bilong Germany for againstim war bikos samting olketa laekem hem for duim nating followim conscience bilong hem.
Sixti year bihaen, long September 18, 1999, Brandenburg Memorial Foundation markem dae bilong Dickmann, and disfala memorial stone mekem pipol tingim fasin for no fraet and strongfala faith wea hem garem. Wanfala mek-tu memorial stone long aotsaed wall bilong disfala camp bilong bifor, helpem olketa visitor for tingim hao Dickmann hem wanfala nomoa long samting olsem 900 Witness bilong Jehovah wea safa insaed Sachsenhausen for biliv bilong olketa. Planti moa safa insaed olketa nara camp. Tru nao, nomata long barava nogud living bilong olketa concentration camp, planti stap faithful for followim olketa principle bilong God.
For Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, hem samting wea olketa Christian mas duim for “stap anda long olketa hae [gavman] paoa.” (Romans 13:1) Bat taem olketa gavman trae forcem olketa for againstim law bilong God, olketa followim example bilong olketa aposol bilong Christ, wea sei: “Mifala mas obeyim God olsem ruler and no olketa man.” (Acts 5:29) Samting wea kamaot from diswan, long world wea fasin for heit stap midolwan olketa tribe and difren color skin wea lead go long barava nogud fasin, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness evriwea, olsem August Dickmann, aftarem peace. Olketa followim encouragement from Bible: “Iu no letem nogud fasin hem winim iu, bat winim nogud fasin witim gud fasin.”—Romans 12:21.